Cincinnati Football: Bowl projections for Bearcats, other AAC teams

Seven programs represented the AAC with bowl game appearances a year ago. We’re about four months away from postseason play but it’s never too early to review the latest bowl projections for the Bearcats and from around the conference.

Cincinnati Bearcats

• CBS Sports: Cotton Bowl vs USC
• Sports Illustrated: Military vs Wake Forest
• Yahoo! Sports: Fenway vs Boston College

After reaching the playoff semifinals last season, Cincinnati is projected to play in the Cotton Bowl, Military Bowl or Fenway Bowl. The Bearcats are obviously hoping to clinch a third consecutive New Year’s Six bowl berth and that would mean another chance to upset a Power Five program. CBS Sports is predicting Cincinnati will face USC in early January.

Houston Cougars

• CBS Sports: Military vs Virginia Tech
• Sports Illustrated: Cotton Bowl vs Oklahoma
• Yahoo! Sports: Cotton Bowl vs USC

Even though the Bearcats are expected to challenge for another conference championship, Sports Illustrated and Yahoo! Sports predicted Houston will earn a spot in the Cotton Bowl instead. The Cougars have potential to reach a major bowl game but it’s possible they could fall short of expectations and play in a lesser game like CBS Sports projected.

UCF Knights

• CBS Sports: Independence vs Army
• Sports Illustrated: Independence vs Army
• Yahoo! Sports: Military vs Pittsburgh

Gus Malzahn’s team started the regular season with a 56-10 rout over South Carolina State on Thursday night. Of course the competition will get more difficult but UCF’s offense should be one of the conference’s best. It might not be enough to secure a top tier bowl game though as the Independence or Military Bowl seem much more likely.

SMU Mustangs

• CBS Sports: Armed Forces vs California
• Sports Illustrated: Armed Forces vs WSU
• Yahoo! Sports: Armed Forces vs UTSA

Another program projected to be in a similar bowl game is SMU. All three publications predicted the Mustangs will appear in the Armed Forces Bowl on December 22 in Fort Worth, Texas. The most likely opponent would be a Pac-12 team like California, Oregon State, Stanford or Washington State but Yahoo! Sports has SMU matching up with UTSA.

Memphis Tigers

• CBS Sports: Fenway vs Boston College
• Sports Illustrated: Boca vs Coastal Carolina
• Yahoo! Sports: Independence vs Army

Coming off a disappointing campaign and a canceled bowl game, Memphis is hoping to bounce back and secure a ninth straight postseason selection. CBS Sports has Memphis playing Boston College in the Fenway Bowl, Sports Illustrated has the Boca Raton Bowl versus Coastal Carolina, and Yahoo! Sports picked the Independence Bowl against Army.

East Carolina Pirates:

• CBS Sports: Camellia vs Marshall
• Yahoo! Sports: Boca vs Coastal Carolina

Another team that was bowl eligible but didn’t get an opportunity to play in the postseason was East Carolina. Mike Houston helped the Pirates go 7-5 last season and should be in line for another bowl berth in 2022. Only two of the projections included East Carolina in the Boca Raton and Camellia Bowl as Sports Illustrated left them off the list.

Tulane Green Wave:

• Sports Illustrated: Fenway vs Boston College

After reaching three straight bowl games from 2018-2020, the Green Wave struggled last season with a 2-10 record and several major injuries. It’s understandable why the previously mentioned publications are hesitant to believe in Tulane but Sports Illustrated predicted a matchup against Boston College in the Fenway Bowl.